Systems for producing fuel compositions

Abstract

Systems for producing fuel compositions with predetermined desirable properties are disclosed. Feedback control can be employed to meter precise amounts of fuel composition components while monitoring fuel composition properties to obtain fuel compositions having specifically defined properties.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for making a fuel composition having a predetermined first property and a predetermined second property and having reduced emissions of one or more of CO, NOx, and hydrocarbons upon combustion, comprising:
 a blending tank; 
 a delivery system comprising flow meters for providing specific amounts of fuel composition components to the blending tank, the delivery system comprising input streams for two or more hydrocarbon feedstocks; 
 a first property monitor for determining a first property of the fuel composition in the blending tank; 
 a second property monitor for determining a second property of the fuel composition in the blending tank; 
 a controller for controlling amounts of fuel composition components provided to the blending tank by the delivery system based upon at least the first property and the second property of the fuel composition as determined by the first property monitor and the second property monitor, the controller operatively coupled to the first property monitor, the second property monitor, and the delivery system; 
 the delivery system further providing to the controller an amount of each fuel composition component charged into the blending tank; 
 the controller configured to recognize the first property of the fuel composition and the second property of the fuel composition as determined by the first property monitor and the second property monitor and stop, start, or alter input streams of the delivery system to obtain a fuel composition having the predetermined first property, the predetermined second property, and having reduced emissions of one or more of CO, NOx, and hydrocarbons upon combustion or a fuel composition having a predetermined first property and predetermined second property closer to the predetermined first property and predetermined second property; and 
 a memory coupled to the controller for storing information generated by the delivery system, the first property monitor, and the second property monitor, the memory comprising historical information relating to amounts and identities of fuel composition components and corresponding fuel composition properties. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery system further provides to the controller a charge rate of each fuel composition component charged into the blending tank. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a programmable logic circuit. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a time interval for the first property monitor and the second property monitor to determine the first property and the second property of the fuel composition in the blending tank. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores program code executable by a processor in the controller for making the fuel composition having the predetermined first property, the predetermined second property, and having reduced emissions of one or more of CO, NOx, and hydrocarbons upon combustion. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the two or more hydrocarbon feedstocks comprise at least two of: a straight-run product feedstock, a reformate feedstock, a cracked gasoline feedstock, a high octant feedstock, an isomerate feedstock, a polymerization feedstock, an alkylate feedstock, a hydrotreated feedstock, and an desulfurization feedstock. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , the memory comprising data associated with the first property and the second property of specific fuel compositions and data associated with changing the first property and the second property of the specific fuel compositions by changing amounts of fuel composition components of the specific fuel compositions. 
     
     
       8. A system for making a fuel composition having a predetermined first property and a predetermined second property and having reduced emissions of one or more of CO, NOx, and hydrocarbons upon combustion, comprising:
 a blending tank; 
 a delivery system comprising flow meters for providing specific amounts of fuel composition components to the blending tank, the delivery system comprising input streams for two or more hydrocarbon feedstocks and one or more oxygenate feedstocks; 
 a first property monitor for determining a first property of the fuel composition in the blending tank; 
 a second property monitor for determining a second property of the fuel composition in the blending tank; 
 a controller for controlling amounts of fuel composition components provided to the blending tank by the delivery system based upon at least the first property and the second property of the fuel composition as determined by the first property monitor and the second property monitor, the controller operatively coupled to the first property monitor, the second property monitor, and the delivery system; 
 the delivery system further providing to the controller an amount of each fuel composition component charged into the blending tank; 
 the controller configured to recognize the first property of the fuel composition and the second property of the fuel composition as determined by the first property monitor and the second property monitor and stop, start, or alter input streams of the delivery system to obtain a fuel composition having the predetermined first property, the predetermined second property, and having reduced emissions of one or more of CO, NOx, and hydrocarbons upon combustion or a fuel composition having a predetermined first property and predetermined second property closer to the predetermined first property and predetermined second property; and 
 a memory coupled to the controller for storing information generated by the delivery system, the first property monitor, and the second property monitor, the memory comprising historical information relating to amounts and identities of fuel composition components and corresponding fuel composition properties. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the two or more hydrocarbon feedstocks comprise at least two of: a straight-run product feedstock, a reformate feedstock, a cracked gasoline feedstock, a high octant feedstock, an isomerate feedstock, a polymerization feedstock, and an alkylate feedstock. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more oxygenate feedstocks provides ethanol. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller comprises a programmable logic circuit. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first property monitor comprises a Reid Vapor Pressure monitor and the first property of the fuel composition is Reid Vapor Pressure. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , the memory comprising data associated with Reid Vapor Pressures of specific fuel compositions and data associated with changing the Reid Vapor Pressures of the specific fuel compositions by changing amounts of fuel composition components of the specific fuel compositions. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 8 , wherein each of the first property monitor and the second property monitor independently comprise: a Reid Vapor Pressure monitor, a sensor, a spectrometer, a boiling point monitor, a gas phase chromatographer, a liquid phase chromatographer, a 10% distillation temperature monitor, a 50% distillation temperature monitor, a 90% distillation temperature monitor, a D-86 Distillation Point monitor, a Research Octane Number monitor, a specific gravity monitor, an anti-knock monitor, a latent heat of evaporation monitor, or a lead content monitor. 
     
     
       15. A system for making a fuel composition having a predetermined first property and a predetermined second property and having reduced emissions of one or more of CO, NOx, and hydrocarbons upon combustion, comprising:
 a blending tank; 
 a delivery system comprising flow meters for providing specific amounts of fuel composition components to the blending tank, the delivery system comprising input streams for two or more hydrocarbon feedstocks and one or more additive feeds; 
 a first property monitor for determining a first property of the fuel composition in the blending tank; 
 a second property monitor for determining a second property of the fuel composition in the blending tank; 
 a controller for controlling amounts of fuel composition components provided to the blending tank by the delivery system based upon at least the first property and the second property of the fuel composition as determined by the first property monitor and the second property monitor, the controller operatively coupled to the first property monitor, the second property monitor, and the delivery system; 
 the delivery system further providing to the controller an amount of each fuel composition component charged into the blending tank; 
 the controller configured to recognize the first property of the fuel composition and the second property of the fuel composition as determined by the first property monitor and the second property monitor and stop, start, or alter input streams of the delivery system to obtain a fuel composition having the predetermined first property, the predetermined second property, and having reduced emissions of one or more of CO, NOx, and hydrocarbons upon combustion or a fuel composition having a predetermined first property and predetermined second property closer to the predetermined first property and predetermined second property; and 
 a memory coupled to the controller for storing information generated by the delivery system, the first property monitor, and the second property monitor, the memory comprising historical information relating to amounts and identities of fuel composition components and corresponding fuel composition properties. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more additive feeds comprises at least two of: an antioxidant feed, a corrosion inhibitor feed, a metal deactivator feed, a demulsifier feed, an antiknock compound feed, a deposit control additive feed, an anti-icing additive feed, a dye feed, a drag reducer feed, a detergent feed, and an octane enhancer feed. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 15 , wherein each of the first property monitor and the second property monitor independently comprise: a Reid Vapor Pressure monitor, a sensor, a spectrometer, a boiling point monitor, a gas phase chromatographer, a liquid phase chromatographer, a 10% distillation temperature monitor, a 50% distillation temperature monitor, a 90% distillation temperature monitor, a D-86 Distillation Point monitor, a Research Octane Number monitor, a specific gravity monitor, an anti-knock monitor, a latent heat of evaporation monitor, or a lead content monitor. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first property monitor comprises a Reid Vapor Pressure monitor and the first property of the fuel composition is Reid Vapor Pressure. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the controller comprises a programmable logic circuit. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 15 , the memory comprising data associated with the first property and the second property of specific fuel compositions and data associated with changing the first property and the second property of the specific fuel compositions by changing amounts of fuel composition components of the specific fuel compositions.